The Scythe Book: Mowing Hay, Cutting Weeds, and Harvesting Small Grains with Hand Tools

by David Tresemer, Peter Vido (Contribution by)

Overview

“I can report that I laid waste to a quarter-acre of weeds, including occasional poplar and sumac shoots up to a half-inch in diameter. I felt good after performing this chore. Last year I did the same job in twice the time with a 'weed eater'.. . David Tresemer has converted me to scything.“— Tom Manwell, Horticulture Magazine

For the gardener, farmer, or homeowner, a good scythe is an efficient and enjoyable tool for cutting grasses and weeds and harvesting small grains. Author David Tresemer presents the results of years of research and practical experience so that the reader may learn to use and enjoy the scythe. In an age when most wonder how they can accomplish anything without the aid of electricity or gasoline, The Scythe Book shows how a traditional hand tool can often outperform more modern technology.

This new edition includes an addendum on the practical use of the scythe by Peter Vido. Beginning with his recollections from boyhood in Slovakia, Vido shares what he has learned from European mowers and scythe-makers during trips to countries where scythes are still routinely used. He also provides detailed guidance on fitting the scythe (blade and snath) to the individual, care and repair of the blade, principles of movement, and much fascinating lore.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811739795
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2021
Edition description:	2021 Edition
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

David Tresemer, Ph.D., has a doctorate in psychology and is a faculty coordinator and presenter for the certificate program in Counseling Psychology, with concentration in Anthroposophic Psychology. He has written in many areas, ranging from The Scythe Book to books about mythic theatre, astrology-seen-intelligently, and counseling. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Peter Vido discovered the scythe in the late 1980s and became a “scythe missionary,” sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of the tool with others around the world. Vido died in 2018.

Table of Contents

Preface v

The Scythe Book

Introduction ix

This Book xi

The Parts of the Scythe 1

The Blade 1

Blade Cover 7

Snath 7

Sharpening 14

Peening 16

Whetting 21

Mowing Technique 27

A Helpful Exercise 27

With the Scythe 29

Small Advances 35

Reading the Grass 37

The Use of the Body 39

Reconsidering the Twisting Exercise 43

Mowing Hay 44

Making the Hay 47

Tools for Making the Hay 50

Mowing in Teams 54

Haytime Drinks 57

Clean Culture 59

Weeds 59

Pasture 60

Lawn 60

Harvesting Small Grains 63

The Scythe and Its Predecessors 64

Cradle Scythes 68

Cutting Grain with Old and New Tools 72

Sowing, Reaping, Threshing, Winnowing 75

Bringing the Harvest Home 86

The Scythe Must Dance

Introduction 98

I Clarification of Terms 101

II Fitting the Snath to the Mower 104

III How Tough Is a Scythe Blade? 109

IV Blade Selection 111

V Sharpening Principles 114

VI The Practice of Shaping the Edge 120

VII Honing in the Field 130

VIII Repairing the Damaged Edge 136

IX Principles of Movement 142

X The Blade-Fitting Challenge 150

Postscript 163

Acknowledgments 164

Appendix 165

Notes 167

Bibliography 178

Index 183

Editorial Reviews

The whole book is intriguing, especially the descriptive chapters on the enjoyment of scything. I started scything in my teens, and have cut grass and hay with the same swing for more than eighty years. It is a first-class, fresh-air exercise that stirs the blood and flexes the muscles while it clears the meadows.

Scott Nearing

...armed with book and scythe, I approached my grass. I can report that I laid waste to a quarter-acre of weeds, including occasional poplar and sumac shoots up to a half-inch in diameter. I felt good after performing this chore. Last year I did the same job in twice the time with a 'weed eater' made by a chain saw manufacturer. It vibrated. I vibrated. Though I wore antinoise earmuffs, I got a headache. David Tresemer has converted me to scything.

Tom Manwell